Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[SPOILER ALERT: Getting Back to Work at the 2009 European Grand Prix]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/23/spoiler-alert-getting-back-to-work-at-the-2009-european-grand-p/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/23/spoiler-alert-getting-back-to-work-at-the-2009-european-grand-p/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/23/spoiler-alert-getting-back-to-work-at-the-2009-european-grand-p/#commentsFiled under: ,

2009 European Grand Prix at Valencia - Click above for high-res image gallery

Ever come back from vacation only to feel like you need another vacation? We've all been there, so we can all empathize with the performers in the Formula One circus. After the last grand prix in Hungary, the premier racing series took a much-needed break for nearly a month, ostensibly to regain their energy and regroup for the final rounds.

But for most parties, the would-be vacation proved to be anything but restful. On top of all the usual off-track posturing that typically occurs between races, two teams had to replace their drivers, a former multiple world champion nearly came back out of retirement, a major automaker announced its withdrawal from the sport, a whole slew of legal battles were fought, and all the parties ratified a new comprehensive commercial agreement for the years ahead. So much for a vacation.

Recuperated or not, however, it was back to work this weekend for the 2009 European Grand Prix, held for only the second time at the Valencia circuit on Spain's sun-drenched Mediterranean coast, where everybody had something to prove. Follow the jump to read how it unfolded.


Gallery: 2009 European Grand Prix

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Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Getting Back to Work at the 2009 European Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Getting Back to Work at the 2009 European Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 euro gp2009 european grand prix2009EuroGp2009EuropeanGrandPrixbrawn gpBrawnGpeuroeuropeaneuropean grand prixEuropeanGrandPrixf1formula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnegrand prixGrandPrixlewis hamiltonLewisHamiltonmclarenmclaren mercedesmclaren-mercedesMclarenMercedesrubens barrichelloRubensBarrichellovalenciavalencia grand prixValenciaGrandPrixSun, 23 Aug 2009 14:14:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19137742/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/08/23/spoiler-alert-getting-back-to-work-at-the-2009-european-grand-p/19137742/article-detail.xml 19137742 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/90027601_10_web_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/90027601_10_web.jpg <![CDATA[SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/#commentsFiled under: ,

2009 Hungarian Grand Prix - Click above for high-res image gallery

Jenson Button and his Brawn GP team cast a dominating shadow over the start of this year's Formula One World Championship, taking the checkered flag at six out of the seven races this season to take a commanding lead for the title. But as Button and Brawn cast a dark shadow over the competition, the skies over the paddock at this past weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix were darkened even further, with the drivers getting a taste of their own mortality after Felipe Massa was hospitalized with severe injuries to his head after being hit by a spring during Saturday's qualifying session.

Driving an F1 car - in a grand prix no less - takes an extraordinarily focused person, ignoring the laws of physics and all that can go wrong in order to even get some heat into the tires, much less extract the car's true performance potential. Winning a grand prix takes an even more rarified breed of individual, outgunning the other exceptionally talented and driven drivers to claim victory. Only 102 people have managed that feat in the history of the sport. But it takes a champion to see a fallen comrade and still marshal the fortitude to reel in the win.


Gallery: 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

Continue reading SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix

SPOILER ALERT: Of Champions and Shadows at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f1ferrarifia formula one world championshipFiaFormulaOneWorldChampionshipformula 1formula oneFormula1FormulaOnegrand prixGrandPrixhamiltonhungarian gphungarian grand prixHungarianGpHungarianGrandPrixhungaryhungary f1HungaryF1kimi raikkonenKimiRaikkonenlewis hamiltonLewisHamiltonmark webberMarkWebbermclarenmclaren mercedesmclaren-mercedesMclarenMercedesraikkonenred bullred bull racingred bull renaultred bull-renaultRedBullRedBull-renaultRedBullRacingRedBullRenaultscuderia ferrariScuderiaFerrariwebberMon, 27 Jul 2009 16:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19110668/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/07/27/spoiler-alert-of-champions-and-shadows-at-the-2009-hungarian-gr/19110668/article-detail.xml 19110668 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/web630-hungariangp09-d_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/web630-hungariangp09-d.jpg <![CDATA[Formula Shuffle: Lola, Aston Martin reportedly considering F1 entries; Mercedes to leave?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/23/formula-shuffle-lola-aston-martin-reportedly-considering-f1-en/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/23/formula-shuffle-lola-aston-martin-reportedly-considering-f1-en/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/23/formula-shuffle-lola-aston-martin-reportedly-considering-f1-en/#commentsFiled under: , ,



A string of reports over the past couple of days are emerging to paint a picture of a potentially huge reshuffle of the Formula One grid and the players involved as early as next season. The FIA and the teams are planning another round of regulation changes to further curb costs in F1, but while that might entice some, for others it could be too little too late.

First up to bat is Mercedes-Benz, which owns 40% of the McLaren team and supplies engines to both it and to Force India. Officials admit that in the current economic climate, the German automaker may have to shut down its F1 program, although remaining in the sport solely as an engine supplier (in other words, severing its remaining ties with McLaren) remains an option.

Meanwhile, several potential new teams are reportedly lining up at the turnstiles at the promise of a more cost-effective formula for next year. One key player is Aston Martin, which is pursuing overall victory in the LMP1 class of Le Mans racing this year after achieving dominance of the GT classes over years past. The company, and more specifically its racing team, is run by David Richards, who once headed Honda's F1 team and has been keen to get back into F1 despite previous assertions that he would not be rushing Aston Martin onto the grid. In the meantime, Lola has announced that it is starting development on its own F1 chassis with an eye towards returning to the grid next season. The British manufacturer competed in F1 during the Sixties under various banners before aborting an attempt to return in 1997. Although Lola makes the chassis which Aston Martin is running in the Le Mans Series this year, so far reports are not suggesting that the two could team up for a joint grand prix venture.

The reduced budgets promised for next year could entice some GP2 teams to move up to F1 as well, however by this point in the season the FIA would usually have announced the regulations for next season so that teams could begin development of their cars for next year.

[Source: F1-Live | Image: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty]

Formula Shuffle: Lola, Aston Martin reportedly considering F1 entries; Mercedes to leave? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Apr 2009 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lewis Hamilton controls F1 car via Blackberry Storm - Click above to watch video

Vodaphone is a huge mobile communications company, and it's also the primary sponsor of the McLaren Mercedes F1 team. The video after the jump shows just what their millions of dollars in sponsorship money can buy: a viral video staring Lewis Hamilton. Vodaphone makes the Blackberry Storm mobile smart phone, and the video kicks off with some office nerds who have hacked the Storm to control an R/C F1 car. They use the phone's built-in accelerometer so that turning the phone like a steering wheel controls the car's direction. The accelerator and the brake, meanwhile, are controlled via buttons on the phone's touch screen.

After publishing a video of their office grand prix on the web, the team of programmers is invited to the garage of McLaren Mercedes where team engineers have adapted the system to control Lewis Hamilton's actual F1 car. Hilarity ensues when Hamilton himself takes the car out on the track, sans driver, and does a lap behind the wheel of the Blackberry Storm. It's an amusing viral video and halfway convincing if we weren't willing to swear on our mothers that McLaren Mercedes would never allow its multi-million dollar F1 car to be controlled via a phone, let alone outfit the car with enough servos to actually perform the functions of steering, braking and changing gears. Follow the jump to watch for yourself. Hat tip to everyone and their mothers.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading VIDEO: Lewis Hamilton controls F1 car via Blackberry Storm

VIDEO: Lewis Hamilton controls F1 car via Blackberry Storm originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 14:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blackberry stormBlackberryStormlewis hamiltonLewisHamiltonmclaren mercedesMclarenMercedesvodaphonevodaphone mclaren mercedesVodaphoneMclarenMercedesWed, 11 Mar 2009 14:54:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1484959/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/03/11/video-lewis-hamilton-controls-f1-car-via-blackberry-storm/1484959/article-detail.xml 1484959 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/hamiltonstorm_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/03/hamiltonstorm_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Vodafone McLaren Mercedes launches the 2009 MP4-24]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/19/vodafone-mclaren-mercedes-launches-the-2009-mp4-24/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/19/vodafone-mclaren-mercedes-launches-the-2009-mp4-24/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/19/vodafone-mclaren-mercedes-launches-the-2009-mp4-24/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to see McLaren's launch of the new MP4-24 in high resolution

I spent a couple of teenage summers working at a camp where, every August, the director would announce his retirement. And every year, he'd be back... until one year he wasn't, and everyone was surprised. Meanwhile, the motorsport press has speculated on the retirement of McLaren team principal Ron Dennis for years now, but every year he'd be back on the pit lane wall. Now Ron's actually moving on, and this is the last car designed and produced under his direction.

It's called the MP4-24, and like those of McLaren's competitors -- including the recently-launched Ferrari F60 and Toyota TF109 -- the new car has to conform to the revised regulations. That means a bigger front wing and a smaller rear one with fewer little aero bits in between. Underneath is McLaren's KERS regenerative braking system, and the ECU which the team is now supplying to the entire grid. The MP4-24, which carries on the same chrome and Vodafone-red livery as last year's, was unveiled at the team's ultra-high-tech headquarters in Woking, England, after which the team's test driver Pedro de la Rosa took it for its first laps at the newly constructed Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. McLaren's reigning champion Lewis Hamilton and his Finnish team-mate Heikki Kovalainen will take over from de la Rosa in the coming days, when several of the other teams will begin testing as well in the ramp-up to the Australian Grand Prix which kicks off the season on March 29. But not before the rest of the teams unveil their cars, so stay tuned.

Gallery: McLaren MP4-24

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes launches the 2009 MP4-24 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Dennis, the man behind the McLaren-Mercedes F1 team, announced he'll be stepping down from his position on March 1st to concentrate on McLaren's future endeavors. Dennis made it clear during today's press conference that his departure shouldn't be perceived as retirement. On the contrary, Dennis said, "The first thing I'm going to do is work harder." And by "work harder" Dennis means he'll be focusing on the new road-going efforts of McLaren Automotive.

The new McLaren supercar - codenamed the P11 - is slated to hit roads in 2010, with power provided by a 600-hp AMG-sourced 6.2-liter V8. Three different variants will be offered, ranging from a standard road car, a convertible and a race-ready version. McLaren is also rumored to be working on two other models, including a Porsche 911-fighter expected to be priced below $100,000. In this economy, Ron has his work cut out for him.

At the end of February, Dennis will end his 28-year reign at McLaren-Mercedes and hand over the day-to-day operations to current team CEO, Martin Whitmarsh. Thanks to all who tipped in.

[Source: ITV-F1 | Image: Getty/AFP]

Ron Dennis steps down from McLaren F1, focusing on supercars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Jan 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mclaren mercedesmclaren p11mclaren-mercedesMclarenMercedesMclarenP11p11ron dennisRonDennisFri, 16 Jan 2009 14:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1431943/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/01/16/ron-dennis-steps-down-from-mclaren-f1-focusing-on-supercars/1431943/article-detail.xml 1431943 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/82144931_580op_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/82144931_580op.jpg <![CDATA[Oh, it's on! Hamilton vs Hoy at Race of Champions]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/19/oh-its-on-hamilton-vs-hoy-at-race-of-champions/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/19/oh-its-on-hamilton-vs-hoy-at-race-of-champions/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/11/19/oh-its-on-hamilton-vs-hoy-at-race-of-champions/#commentsFiled under: ,

British racing fans had lots of reason to celebrate this year. Not only did their golden boy Lewis Hamilton win the Formula One World Championship, but their star cyclist Chris Hoy took home three Olympic gold medals from the Beijing Olympics. But the ultimate face-off between man and machine is just gearing up as organizers of the annual Race of Champions have announced the two will face off next month at Wembley.

The race will pit Hamilton in a Mercedes road car against Hoy on his bike on parallel winding tracks. Although Lewis won't be driving his championship winning McLaren, he'll be running a few demonstration laps around the stadium for the fans in his first major public appearance after securing the championship. Since both Hoy and Hamilton will have to rush off to the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, scheduled at the same time as the race, the showdown will take place as an opening act. And that's one heck of an opening act. Press release after the jump.

[Source: Race of Champions]

Continue reading Oh, it's on! Hamilton vs Hoy at Race of Champions

Oh, it's on! Hamilton vs Hoy at Race of Champions originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Most rumors in the auto industry surface and are either confirmed or quelled. But here is one that keeps on popping up and has remained unanswered for years.

McLaren teamed up with Mercerdes-Benz back in 1995, and ever since automotive and motorsport journalists alike have been speculating that the German auto giant - which currently holds 40% equity - would buy out the British racing team. However, Mercedes officials have continuously downplayed the suggestion, and no such moves have been made after 12 years of collaboration. The party line from Stuttgart continues unchanged, however McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh is indicating otherwise. Speaking with the International Herald-Tribune (the overseas edition of The New York Times), Whitmarsh said "I would be deeply disturbed if Mercedes had no real interest in acquiring us. I think it's a tangible demonstration of their commitment to this".

If Mercedes did opt to buy out the remaining 60% (or acquire an additional 10.1% to acquire controlling interest), it would seem like odd timing. Despite competing at the front for many seasons running now, the collaborative effort of the two outfits in Formula One hasn't yielded a championship since 1999, to say nothing of the parting of company which the two have undertaken to replace the Mercedes SLR McLaren independently.

[Source: F1-Live]

Mercedes still rumored to buy out McLaren originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you thought rumors spread fast among automotive news sites, that's nothing compared to the speculation that spreads like wildfire around racing paddocks. The latest reports suggest that Ron Dennis, who has successfully directed the McLaren F1 team to seven constructors' titles and nine drivers' championships since taking over the team in the early 1980s, has been sacked. Shareholder and engine partner Mercedes-Benz was reportedly angered by Dennis' management of the spy scandal and his failure to secure the championship. Dennis, who recently separated from Lisa, his wife of 22 years and mother of his three children, controls 15% of the McLaren Group, and according to reports, would be replaced by his deputy Martin Whitmarsh.

The reports come from Spanish sports newspaper Marca, which has been highly critical of McLaren since allegations began to surface of the team's mishandling of its ex-driver, Fernando Alonso. According to Marca, however, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes will be confirming the reports shortly.

[Source: F1-Live, Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty]

Rumormill: McLaren boss Ron Dennis fired originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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